Data-backed planning intelligence · 3,290,000+ decisions analysed across England

Rear Extension Approval Rates in Sunderland

Rear extensions are the bread and butter of UK planning — and one of the most common reasons homeowners face a refusal. Here's what 1,047 real decisions tell us about rear extension outcomes in Sunderland.

1,047 real decisions·January 2020 to present·Updated June 2026
95.5%
Approval Rate
1,047
Decisions
1,000
Approved
47
Refused
95.5% approved. But 47 refused since 2020. Each refusal cost the homeowner time and money on drawings and application fees. Understanding your local data before you apply is the difference between confidence and a costly gamble.

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Why rear extension approval rates matter

Rear extensions sit in the middle of the pack nationally. They're common enough that councils have clear precedent — but that cuts both ways. If your neighbours have been refused, that precedent works against you too.

Rear Extension approval rate by ward

#WardDecisionsApprovedRate
1Fulwell55
100.0%
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These are council averages. Your property is specific.

Two houses on the same street can get different outcomes.
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How rear extensions compare to other project types

Not all applications are treated equally. Here's how rear extensions stack up against other common projects in Sunderland.

TypeDecisionsRate
Wraparound Extension86
97.7%
Conservatory150
97.3%
Rear Extension1,047
95.5%
Side Extension777
94.7%
Extension (General)1,435
94.6%
Garage / Parking1,090
92.2%
Front Extension144
91.0%
Basement32
90.6%
Flat Conversion21
90.5%
New Build725
90.3%
Outbuilding171
88.9%
Loft Conversion53
86.8%
Annex24
83.3%
Change of Use (Residential)713
80.9%
Dormer263
79.8%
HMO51
52.9%
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What the data tells us

1
95.5% of rear extension applications in Sunderland get approved. That means 47 homeowners since 2020 have been refused. Not terrible odds, but not a foregone conclusion.
3
Council averages are starting points, not guarantees. The decisions that matter most are the comparable ones near your specific property — because planning officers look at precedent, character and the immediate context of your street.

Before you spend £5,000+ on architects and drawings

47 rear extension applications in Sunderland have been refused since 2020. Many of those homeowners had already paid for drawings and application fees. A free, property-specific report shows you what gets approved — and what gets refused — near your property.

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Free · Property report emailed in minutes · Based on 3,290,000+ real decisions

More Sunderland planning data

Nearby councils rear extension data

Methodology: Based on 1,047 planning decisions classified as rear extensions in Sunderland, January 2020 to present. Classification uses keyword matching against proposal descriptions (matching generate_site_data.py rules). A single application may appear in multiple categories. Approval rate = approved / (approved + refused). Pending, withdrawn and invalid applications excluded. Data from Sunderland Council's public planning portal. Full methodology →
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